Prewash and if so, how?
 

I am making a rag quilt for my grandson out of old denim and new plaid flannels. I am told the flannel needs to be prewashed. Do I do this is the machine? Will it not start it to raveling even before I use it? I remember when I was in high school home economics when we used to "relax the fabric" by stitching all the way around it, wetting it. smoothing it out on a counter and letting it air dry. Is this what they mean about prewashing the flannel? I'm ready to start cutting, so I need help as soon as possible. Thanks a bunch!:confused:

Flannel will shrink quite a bit. Wash in machine and dry in dryer. I serge the cut edges first to prevent raveling, but you can zig-zag or blanket stitch the edge as well.

It wouldn't hurt to wash and dry the flannel twice before using it. The denim is old and has been washed and dried many times so there will be no shrinking at all. Like Tom W said just run a quick zig zag or serge the ends of the flannel. The flannel won't shrink unless it is dried in the dryer.

I used flannel scraps once to piece the back of a puff/biscuit quilt. Did not preshrink or wash flannel. Has been washed many times since the 90's and is still intact. I am sure the makeup of today's flannel is nearly the same...but I think if was using flannel today I would definitely stay stich the edges {if it was new}, but I would wash in COLD water and let it air dry anywhere BUT a dryer!

I wash and dry flannel twice before using it. It hasn't raveled much at all, but it does shrink some and gives off a lot of fuzz in the dryer vent, both times, and then when I wash the quilt. But, the flannel wears well over time.

I also always prewash flannel in hot water and dry in a hot dryer before cutting it for a quilt.

Here's a post from a couple days ago with more info:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...k-t262277.html

I know when I washed my flannel it did ravel a little but not as much as the cotton. I would layer it and safety pen it together and like Tom said zigzag around the edges.

I never pre-wash my flannel when making a rag rug. I want my cut edges to fray well when I do wash it.